Magician Lord		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Alpha (1990) Reviewed: 2002/10/16

While it may play like a standard Shinobi-like side-scroller, Magician Lord far exceeds anything you'll find on the Genesis or SNES. You play the role of a projectile-shooting Magician in a big pointy hat, but you can transform into other characters as well. By combining element power-ups (earth, water, air) you can become a fire breathing "dragon warrior", a samurai, or four other mystical beings. This power-up system provides some much-needed variety to an otherwise typical platform game. Magician Lord only uses two buttons (attack and jump) which makes it very accessible and easy to play. The action involves navigating platforms in castles, caves, and forests while shooting creatures and avoiding traps. Some levels even offer multiple pathways. The characters are large, and while the game's animation has been criticized in other reviews, I didn't think it was so bad. The scenery is varied and painstakingly detailed. I had a great time playing Magician Lord, even though I was killed more times than Jason in a Friday the 13th movie. Two things make this game hard. First there are those annoying flying things that always appear when you're stuck on a ladder (you can't attack while on a ladder). Second, the bosses are crazy tough. The first one alone took me about ten tries to defeat! Fortunately you can save your spot to a memory card. But overall I do like Magician Lord - it has a certain old-school sensibility about it. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Metal Slug 2 (CD)		Grade: A-
	Publisher: SNK (1998) Reviewed: 2006/8/30

Regarded as the franchise that put Neo Geo on the map, Metal Slug is king when it comes to gratuitous 2D side-scrolling shooting action. Unfortunately, Metal Slug cartridges typically fetch hundreds of dollars on Ebay, so most gamers will have to settle for this CD version (which doesn't come cheap either). Assuming the role of a Rambo-like cartoon character, you blast your way through hordes of soldiers and mechanical beasts while forging through war-torn streets, bustling Arabian markets, and mummy-infested tombs. With the exception of your default peashooter, weapons like shotguns and missile launchers are absolutely devastating. The action is relentless, the carnage is incredible, and an off-beat sense of humor pervades the whole affair. Should you catch a whiff of "mummy breath", you transform into a gun-toting mummy yourself. Consume too many food items and your solider becomes a slow, obese slob. Metal Slug 2 bears more than a passing resemblance to Metal Slug X (Playstation, 2001), and I'm a bit irked at how soldiers splatter white "blood" when shot (at least in this American version). The censorship seems all the more absurd when you consider all of the flying body parts. Metal Slug 2's eye candy is substantial, but it does tax processor at times, resulting in occasional slowdown. Load times also disrupt the action periodically, although they're not especially long. Humorous voices effects and a dramatic musical score accentuate the outstanding audio. Metal Slug 2 offers five continues which I found to be reasonable for the default skill level. You'd expect the two-player simultaneous mode to be even more fun, but it's really not due to the aforementioned slowdown and general on-screen confusion. The cartridge is not worth breaking your piggy bank for, but if you can obtain the CD for a reasonable price, Metal Slug 2's brand of nonstop mayhem will definitely not let you down. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Mutation Nation		Grade: C-
	Publisher: SNK (1992) Reviewed: 2004/4/11

Here's another second-rate, side-scrolling beat-em-up along the same lines as Burning Fight. For some reason SNK could never seem to get these kind of games quite right. They inexplicably went out of their way to keep the action overly simple, limiting the controls to two buttons. As a result, the gameplay feels repetitive and lacks technique. One button is used to punch and the other to jump. You can press both to jump-kick, and hold A for a charge attack. There are no holds, throws, weapons, or interactive scenery, and that's a shame. You spend most of the game just tapping the punch button. Mutation Nation is set in a city of the future crawling with mutated beasts. The designers got pretty creative with some of these creatures, including squid-heads, plant people, horned dogs, and thugs that sprout bat heads. The four-armed woman reminded me of the Mortal Kombat character Shiva. Stage locations include city streets, a museum, a seaport, moving flatbed trucks, and even a dance club. The multi-layered backgrounds are nicely drawn and interesting to look at. The game supports two-player simultaneous action, and you can't harm each other, which is always preferable. Player two is a black guy with a flattop and stripes on the side of his head - quite fashionable for 1992. Three continues are provided. It doesn't appear that SNK put a lot of effort into Mutation Nation. For example, when you walk up to a door at the end of a stage, it shatters without even being touched. Mutation Nation is not a terrible game, but it's awfully shallow and very forgettable. Even my wife, a huge Streets of Rage fan, thought this was awfully primitive. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

NAM 1975		Grade: A-
	Publisher: SNK (1990) Reviewed: 2002/9/6

This early Neo Geo title delivers some serious two player shooting satisfaction. You view the action from behind your soldier, blasting enemy troops, tanks, helicopters, boats, and anything else that comes into view. You can even level entire buildings and topple huge bosses. The A button is used to fire your machine gun, B throws grenades, and C is used to run sideways. Running is not only useful for evading incoming fire, but also to grab power ups that rain down around you. A variety of backdrops and enemies keep the action fresh, and there's even an occasional hostage to save. NAM offers a limited number of continues, so you won't finish it in one sitting. If I have one complaint, it's that the action tends to get very difficult very fast. The graphics aren't the best you'll see on the Neo Geo, but the tremendous destruction is quite satisfying. A memory card can be used to save your place. Fun to play and fairly inexpensive, NAM 1975 is highly recommended. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Ninja Combat		Grade: F
	Publisher: Alpha (1990) Reviewed: 2003/6/17

Many years ago, before they had bad voice acting in video games, there was equally poor text dialogue. Check out this riveting exchange between the two heroes of Ninja Combat: "That's the Ninja Tower isn't it?" "It's like a fortress isn't it?" "It looks more like a small hut to me!" "Let's go Joe!" "I'm ready pal!" If you think that was bad, wait until you play the game. This side-scrolling fighter tries to be a glorified Double Dragon, but it's just awful. The characters are large but cartoonish-looking and the backgrounds are woefully uninteresting. And why in the world are these ninjas wearing such loud, colorful clothes? They look idiotic! The default attack is throwing stars, but there are plenty of weapons lying around like nun-chucks, maces, and axes. Too bad they always get knocked out of your hand before you get a chance to use them! Fortunately there are also magic and running attacks at your disposal. Your foes are an odd mix of ninja warriors, cheerleader girls, and mini-werewolves (now available in bite size!). With so many thugs coming out of the woodwork, it's hard to tell what the heck's going on! You'll take more cheap hits than you can see coming, and although some of the bosses look really cool, they require an inordinate number of hits to destroy (a thousand I think). You can choose a new fighter before each stage, and when you defeat certain foes, they are added to your list of playable characters. While it's nice to have more characters, it's frustrating that these new fighters can't pick up and use weapons (for no reason I can surmise). Another thing I don't appreciate is having to face the same bosses over and over, three or four times. Enough already! The quality of the sound effects in Ninja Combat is also terrible, with muffled grunts and girls who scream "Help! Help!" nonstop. As aggravating as the one player mode is, the two-player mode is even more chaotic and senseless. Oh, and I'm not a big fan of unlimited continues - I think they pretty much suck. And Ninja Combat is one game where you'll be SORRY to have more continues! © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Ninja Commando (CD)		Grade: B-
	Publisher: ADK (1992) Reviewed: 2006/8/30

Sometimes you need more than a garden-variety ninja. Sometimes you need a ninja specially trained as a commando who can also fire magic missiles from his hands. Ninja Commando attempts to fill that void. Actually, this plays more like a vertical shooter than your typical soldier-on-the-rampage game. As you journey through wilderness areas and well-fortified palaces, you'll unleash a torrent of missiles and lay waste to enemy soldiers and monsters foolish enough to stand in your way. With firepower this intense, the two-player simultaneous mode is almost ridiculous. Still, those who enjoy non-stop shooting and massive explosions will be enthralled. In addition to tapping the fire button like a madman, you can hit a somersault button to elude danger. A third button unleashes "ninja magic", inflicting heavy damage to everything on the screen. The bosses are mammoth, and I especially love the giant caveman who actually hurls his own henchmen at you! The death sequences are pretty lame however, as the bosses turn to static before fire engulfs the entire screen (huh?). In general the graphics are colorful and fun, with time-traveling stages that run the gamut from ancient Japan (samurai!) to prehistoric times (dinosaurs!) to ancient Egypt (mummies!). Hilarious cut-scenes depict an evil villain who bears a startling resemblance to Jon Voight. You'll also be treated to incomprehensible prose like, "You have defended the history from enemy" and "I have a feeling like something is going to happen." The weak audio tends to use the same "bleah!" sound effect for each slayed foe, and the musical score is equally forgettable. Unlimited continues are available, but if you want a real challenge, you should play on "easy" and forgo the continues. Ninja Commando has a certain disposable quality about it, but once you start blasting away, it can be mesmerizing. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Power Spikes II (CD)		Grade: F
	Publisher: Video System (1994) Reviewed: 2005/7/14

Wow, I never imagined a Neo Geo game could be as monumentally bad as this is! Power Spikes II is practically an insult to this system. If this is the sequel, the first Power Spikes must have been an absolute abomination! The main problem here is that the game is played completely on a 2D plane - that's no way to play volleyball. You control one of five small players on your side of the net. Actually, it's difficult to determine how many players there are, since they all look identical and tend to bunch up in front of the net. The gameplay is atrocious, with volleys that always seem to fall into the same predictable pattern. An arrow indicates where the ball will land, so you simply position your player on the arrow. Timing the spikes is easy, since the ball and players tend to move in slow motion. The effectiveness of your spike depends largely on the random occurrence that your opponent is knocked down by the force of your hit. Upon scoring a point, players on the scoring team gallivant around like a bunch of idiots. Power Spikes II allows you to choose between men's teams, women's teams, and the obligatory (for the Neo Geo) high-tech "robot" teams. The crowds in the background looks nice, but serve no purpose besides filling the screen. Lacking even the most basic playability, this is easily one of the worst Neo Geo titles ever conceived. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Pulstar (CD)		Grade: A-
	Publisher: Aicom (1995) Reviewed: 2004/4/11

This awesome shooter is one of those "holy grail" titles that'll cost you an arm and a leg just to get it on CD. But it may be worth the investment, because Pulstar is possibly the Neo Geo's most challenging and graphically impressive shooter. Its fascinating stages take you through mechanical space stations, slimy underworlds, and fiery planet surfaces, and each is meticulously detailed. The quality of the explosions is incredible - far beyond anything I've seen in other Neo Geo shooters. Some of the monsters that crawl across the screen are nearly photo-realistic, and the bosses are a joy to behold. The first boss is a slimy little octopus-like creature that surrounds itself with metal debris, and then morphs the whole thing into a giant killer machine - wow. Besides its top-notch visuals, Pulstar's other claim to fame is its difficulty. The word "insurmountable" comes to mind. The Video Game Critic doesn't usually like his games this hard, but at least you can choose to start on any of the first four stages. There are unlimited continues, and you don't have to restart a stage from the very beginning when you continue, thank goodness. The control scheme is quite unique. Simply tapping the fire button is not enough to kill most enemies, but you can hold it to "charge" you shots. A second option is to tap the fire button super-fast, which increases the range and intensity of your shots. Although this can be hard on your wrist, certain power-ups seem to make this easier. Pulstar's audio is also noteworthy. The music is has a soothing, new age sound that's a nice break from the standard fare, and the crystal clear sound effects really grabbed my attention. Each stage is introduced with a full motion video (FMV) clip, but these 3D-rendered cut scenes are hardly impressive by today's standards and definitely not worth the load time, so turn them off using the options menu. The option menu also lets you select from one of eight skill levels. Despite its difficult nature, Pulstar is an awesome shooter. Its graphics and sound really elevate the Neo Geo to the next level. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players (alternating)

Rally Chase (CD)		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Alpha Denshi (1991) Reviewed: 2005/7/14

I was pretty psyched about this one, and hoped it would be a much better game than it turned out to be. At its core, Rally Chase is a simple, old school racer with absolutely gorgeous overhead graphics. In terms of gameplay, it's not much different from Auto Racing for the Intellivision (1980). As the road winds and the screen scrolls every which way, you must constantly adjust your direction to stay on the road. The races are on and off-road, and the tracks tend to be an ideal length (reasonably short). You'll visit a number of scenic countries throughout the world, including Italy, Finland, and Kenya. Whether you're cruising down a crowd-lined road, peeling through a shallow stream, or jumping off desert dunes, there's always plenty to see. It's tempting to slow down to have a look at the colorful scenery, but there's no time for that. There are plenty of other cars hogging the road, and you can ram them to prevent them from passing. That, along with the fact that the screen zooms out when you "catch air" gives this game a slight Bump N Jump (1982) flavor. Unfortunately, the fun is severely hampered by the oversensitive steering controls. It's extremely hard to stay in the center of the road (especially on diagonal stretches), and you're constantly re-adjusting. Annoyed novices will find themselves weaving something horrible, although veterans will learn how to "tap" the joystick to fine tune their direction. Knowing the course layouts also helps. But even when you get proficient at steering, it's clear that the Neo Geo control is poorly suited to this style of game - an analog controller would have be ideal for this game. Another flaw is the excessive number of cars on the road - most of which are apparently not in the race. I say that because often when you pass a car it doesn't affect your rank - very odd. If you can tolerate the controls, Rally Chase provides a nice break from all the one-on-one fighters that the Neo Geo is known for. This game is a Japanese import; the North American version is called Thrash Rally. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Riding Hero		Grade: D
	Publisher: SNK (1990) Reviewed: 2002/9/6

Riding Hero is an unspectacular motorcycle racer in the tradition of Pole Position. The distant backgrounds are somewhat attractive, but there's little scenery on the sides of the road. Other vehicles look large and detailed, but it's ridiculously difficult to navigate around cars and trucks! The sound effects are muffled, and the music is generic, but he controls aren't bad. Three buttons are used to accelerate, brake, and turbo. The key to winning Riding Hero is just staying on the road, but that's easier said than done. It's easy to slide off the side of the road, so don't be afraid to lean on the brake. Oddly, using turbo seems to improve your traction! Unfortunately, the other riders like to bump you off the road, and it's especially frustrating when they bump you from behind since you can't see them coming! The World Grand Prix mode is mildly addicting, and lets you advance from one track to the next, saving between races. A separate story mode allows you to move around a town, talk to people, and earn money in races, but it didn't exactly win me over. All you do is choose an adversary and bet on each race you enter, and the text is an unintentional comedy of awkward wording and grammatical errors. The third mode is the "multi-play" mode that allows two players to compete head to head, and Riding Hero comes with the necessary link wire. It's mildly amusing, but Riding Hero is not one of the better Neo Geo titles. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Robo Army		Grade: B+
	Publisher: SNK (1991) Reviewed: 2006/8/30

It doesn't get much love from most critics, but this side-scrolling brawler is pretty sweet if you ask me. Robo Army's familiar premise pits one or two heroes against rampaging robots in a post-apocalyptic world. Like Streets of Rage, you punch, jump, kick, and unleash special attacks. It's quite satisfying as the robots explode and debris flies all over the place. Heck, you can even pick up entire vehicles and toss them around like beach balls. It's mindless fun, and sometimes that's the best kind. Robotic limbs can be used as clubs, and I love how certain robots will keep on walking around after losing their torsos. Certain power-ups transform you into a small armored car that lets you mow down everything in sight. The characters are about as huge as they could possibly be for a game like this, and impressive scaling is used to render incoming vehicles and transforming bosses. The bosses assume some interesting forms, like a giant yapping robotic dog constructed entirely from smashed cars. Robo Army's post-apocalyptic urban scenery isn't anything you haven't seen before, but its attention to detail is commendable. The clanking metal sound effects are terrific, and the synthesized music isn't bad either. As one of the more affordable titles for the Neo Geo, Robo Army should satisfy your appetite for destruction. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players